Armenia, Azerbaijan start debate on Armenia v Azerbaijan case at ICJ

ArmInfo.Armenia and Azerbaijan have started debate on the Armenia v Azerbaijan case at the International  Court of Justice. 

As Yeghishe Kirakosyan, the RA representative on international legal  issues, noted in his speech, Armenia initiated the trial on September  16, 2021 in accordance with the International Convention on the  Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Yerevan accuses  Baku of actions against Armenians for decades, which came to the fore  during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2020. Schools in  Azerbaijan teach to hate and kill Armenians, and the media of this  state continues the policy of spreading hatred towards people of  Armenian nationality. Even Azerbaijani officials are calling for the  complete destruction of the Armenians. "This is a form of outright  racism, which is encouraged by the Azerbaijani state. An example of  this can be the facts of acquittals and awarding of the title of  National Hero to criminals for the murder of Armenians in peacetime,"  Kirakosyan said.

He noted that the apogee of this policy was the events of September  2020, when Azerbaijan began large- scale military operations against  the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. For 44 days, soldiers of  the Azerbaijani army killed, tortured and other violent actions  against ethnic Armenians, including civilians and prisoners of war,  proudly showing relevant videos. As a result of these actions, over  30 thousand Armenians then became refugees, and AR President Ilham  Aliyev officially stated that Baku would not leave an Armenian trace  in these territories. Then official Yerevan appealed to the court  with a demand to take measures to protect the Armenians who had not  yet been killed or expelled at that time. "However, everyone knows  what happened next. Even the court could not stop the crimes of Baku,  committed on grounds of racial discrimination against Armenians,  which resulted in ethnic cleansing in September 2023.  Just a month  ago, Aliyev lit a fire in Stepanakert, said via Twitter" about the  final cleansing of Nagorno- Karabakh from Armenians," Kirakosyan  noted.

He added that in contrast to Armenia, Azerbaijan presented its  accusations, trying to create a false agenda.  In particular, Baku  does not have video materials testifying to the allegedly massive  crimes committed by Armenia, which could become the basis for a trial  and prove the rightness of the Azerbaijani side. As a result, Baku is  trying to revive a 30-year history, which, due to the expiration of  the statute of limitations, goes beyond the powers of the UN ICC.

Armenia demanded that the court introduce interim measures to avoid  an escalation of tension. Azerbaijan presented its justifications the  day before. The second round of discussions will take place from  April 17 to 19. First, Azerbaijan will present its justifications  (April 17), after which it will be Armenia's turn (April 19).